Marvin Windows cited by Obama in speech about economic vision
December 7, 2011 at 4:58 am in Grand Forks Herald
President Barack Obama cited the fourth-generation-owned Marvin Windows and Doors, based in Warroad, Minn., during his speech in a small Kansas town Tuesday. Obama used Marvin as an example of a business obligated to its employees. Continue Reading
How embarrassing for the Marvin family. To be made an example of by a Marxist president. I hope they can overcome this scandal.
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Did i miss something in Bully’s remark about race?
I saw a statement on Obamas political views but not his skin tone.
People who jump straight to the race card are every bit as much, if not more the source of race problems that plague this nation.
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Yes but Bully’s comment is ridiculous!
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Marvins has in fact reduced it’s workforce during the recession. But it has done it through reduced hours, retirement, and firing for cause. This means you have to shuffle some employees around, retrain people, etc… but it avoided mass layoffs. Not a bad way to share the pain, and still remain efficient.
So, if Marvin’s workers were unionized, how do you think that would have worked?
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Pella/Viking Windows: Unionized work force; recent mass layoffs.
Andersen Windows: Unionized work force; recent mass layoffs.
Marvin Windows: Non-unionized work force; no layoffs.
Might be a coincidence, but I’d say probably not. You know dang well that the union bosses at Pella and Andersen chopped the newest workers while protecting the top of the rank-and-file instead of “sharing the pain” and keeping everyone employed.
Just another example of union greed and their disregard for the common man.
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It wouldn’t have worked because they tried to do it awhile back and the Marvin family said they would close down the plants and cease operation if it happened.
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And I guess that was my point, ryan. If Marvins was a union shop, there is little chance they could have cut hours to 32 per week, because the union contract wouldn’t have let them. They wouldn’t have been able to retrain and shuffle employees into needed areas, because the union contract wouldn’t have allowed it. Employers need flexiblity that unions sometimes just don’t allow. And because of this flexibility, Marvins was able to avoid mass layoffs.
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Good point Ryan. Only 7.2% of private-sector employees are unionized. Many companies must agree with Marvin’s. Unfortunately the gov’t unions are now the majority.
As a taxpayer, I’m real tired of supporting this group!
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Congratulations, Marvin Windows!
Be nice if all companies who claim to ‘care’ so much for their workforce would put their money where their mouths are the way Marvin Windows has!
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Yes good post Beast. That is the point. The anti union set is right about the inflexibility. Yes merit based pay and decision making are better in my opinion. In fact I was a witness to the failure of my father’s unionized company. I have seen all the negatives first hand. Felt them personally. I cannot, however, be anti-union because I also can see where we would be without them. I think these anti-union folks take for granted how they and their parents and grandparents would not have been able to live the lifestyles they have without the achievements of unions in this country.
The solution in my mind would be some sort of reform of unions. Some way to make them more flexible… modernize them to the needs of today. Find some way to reward based on merit and reduce the impact of seniority. How to do this I have no clue, but the outlook for workers without anyone pushing back against corporations would not be pretty.
P.S. I recommend a read of the President’s speech. It is posted on The New York Times site.
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What does that even mean???
Marvin without Unions is Heaven compared to ACS with Unions?
I would agree with that but somehow i doubt that was what you were going for.
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Sorry to hear that Marvin Windows received the mark of corporate death by the Obama admin.
Now they will likely be forced to wither away with the other companies that were praised by Obama like Solyndra and chets restaraunt in Ohio. Beware the Obama kiss of death.
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Actually, he was in Texas when he made those remarks. At least he thought he was.
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So how would things be for the American worker without the help of unions? Tough question. Any anti-union person willing to enlighten me? Would most companies behave like Marvin? Would the american worker be better off? Who would be advocating worker’s rights. Would the worker get their fair share of the pie? How?
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Look up the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire…..
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If unions were still all about worker’s rights, workplace conditions and living wages, they’d still be relevant. Fact of the matter is that they’re all about the money now…..which is why private sector unions have all but disappeared and public sector unions continue to grow: The private sector unions got too greedy and destroyed many of the businesses they were involved with.
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